Variable-clearance engine.



u@ 320,82'5. y l PATENTE ma. 3, i9 oa.

s. A. BREVE.

A VARIBLVE CLEARANCE ENGINE.

Aumentan FILED 601:. 11. 1965.

Jive razn x52 /Ew-L :,vfvhthesainez.- arts in all the viewsf :'50

no .one-ion.

"f f ffp'igusm or? 'n Amm; missioni-referrer' Tofd-llwhomqit :1 may concern: 1 'f Be it knownthat LSIDNEYA. REEVE, a citiv .-zenof.the..Unit.ed.f5tates, residing at l-Voroes-V v rzvter, in the county-.of Torcester and State of -5 =lliessachusettsggdiave invented cert-ain ,new f.; and .nsefulflniproements .in Variable-Clean 1. ance fllr'gines-,pogwhich the. followino speciiif -..cation and. aQOQmpanying drawings i lus trate reward as .the best.out-,f'itlievarious forms in duch it maybe. embodied.. f f L", llvntionnelates to explosion cnvines -of thetypeinvliich the volunie of the c earjE.-.."1.= ance space gat/ the end of the cylinder is varied in accordance with .the load order to'pre-` serigand .inipijoye the eilciencyat moderate n -,C)'. '.f util, i

"The invention 'alsoapplies 'to compressors.

. In thefillustretive -.e'r.11.b0diment.,which I- .2 means ofwatepgressureivithin the same hud .,.contractedsliyt e pressure-of the explosion f* within the, worlghg cylinder, together with a 25 pump fo1 .the quantity of water within-fthe listo; operated by a motor which l is .ac tuate shy "hewa'terexpelled 'fromenotherlconipartnient in the piston, there being a, loaded 'Xalvg used inconnection 4with the A iivery-,pipe-.of said pum is keptl down to a predeterminedpoint.- he discharge from f the pumpqmotqr may if desired be usefully .applied byvcerrying 1t.-to a cooling" chamber 3.5 .t

pughyvhichuthe products yof c 5ri1busti mromi the mainienglne are passed. in order .tliattjhe'motixg mixture of steam and rodf certain-usciti regulation.-

pump-motor exhaustL affords a -Of .the accompanying drawings, Figure y 1 ,anexplosiwfeengine constructed in accordsection .on'the ine 3T3 of Fig. 2.

,. llhe reference-characters represent '.-ucyhnleipof an enplosion engine which l have V -ger i'conreniene "show-m; of the twowycle.

@bleaching-mein.which meal. Compre-f i Specification of Letters Patent. Appumionneeobtbbprii.1905. summa. 282.251.

Patented-March'-3, 1908.

icylinders 11 12 outside'of the main'cylinder and admitted to the working cylinder under control of .velve's'13i13 when the 'working -piston 14 has uncovered the middle exhaus'tport 15 at either end of the stroke. 'I have also shown the'.exhaust-port1'5"l connected through a pipe' 16 (of exaggeratedlength in the drawings) with the 'interior 'of a cooling chamber 17 in thelowcrlpart of which a body of water is automatica ly -predtermined'level by means of anautomatic levelcontroller 18 whichactuetesl a feed-throttling-valve 19.' The lexhaust lfrom the working cylinder 10 vaporizesthe water in'cooling chamber 17 and creates a. motive mixture of steam and products of combustion 'which passes out/of the upper end d .cooling chamber 17 through'a pipel 20-11`d i` em p lojed in a-second orlow-pressure engine' 200. which may be an ordinary steaI-.ei ine.

The combination just described separate' applications Ser'. No.V 267'S1aI-d "Sen No. 267,719. It will be understooithat several ofthe advantages: of my"inve tion 4may be attained Without 'using this Tcoling chamber and low-pressure cylinder may also .be attainedin connection with ordinary fourcycle engines, either single or double The piston 14 is providedwitlll two 'chaml bers 21 22 separated bya 2c'entiel. artition and having movable outer wallsm .t e ishape of plungers or followers 23. tTaterleaves the chambers 21 22 through the interior of the hollow piston-rod 24 by wayio a-passage 25 therein wliich communicatesatone end 'with a water-jacket 26 in one of the cylinder- Vheads and at theother end'pnsmto the respective chambers 21 22 vthrougheinlets controlled by check-valves 271 Whichprevent a back flow. W'aterenters -the'cliambers 21 22 through a' passage 2S in a hollow tail-rod 29, the .outlets from' said passage .to the 'chambers being controlled by y(':liec-,li-Valves 3() andthe su pply to said passage being from water-jacket 31 'in the opposite (x3-'linderliead.' From "\vater.jacket=26 a pipe 3 2 leads to a hydraulicmotor 33-whose. piston 34 drives the piston V35 vof a pumpn ,a The let-` 'ier' draws water from a supp p'ftankBZ and disehargesit lto a pipe 3S leadingiinto the other A-rfuter-jacket 31 andlso connected with the-suction pipe 39 o`the=apu1up by nieans'of a by-.pass '40 containing a safetylas some water; l on'rthe .valve 41 set or loaded to release at a certain determinate'pressure, The discharge from the hydraulic' motor 33 may beledj away to anylocality, but I haveshownit :reconductedby Way of a pipe 42j'to thecooling#l .44 containing aload'ed valve 45. settorelease' at a predetermined pressure.

46 416 ar`e the usual igniting" devices located at opposite endsof the Working cylinder and operated by the engine in the usual manner at or'near dead center, and 47V is a speedovernoi" driven by the engine and lcontro ling the quantity'of explosive char e by any of the usual methods, as-.f'or examp e byregulating the time of closing of the coinpresser admission-valves.. f

The operation of the apparatus is as fol' :lows: The .charges are iintiall lcompressed inthe compressors 11 .'12 andY admitted to either end of. he working cylinder 10'at the end of 'i exhaust gases through ex "aust port 1'5V under suicientfbackfpressure to enablegthem 1310 'worlg the.,` low-pressure` cylinder. On stroke a charge is lcompressed andignitedgator near' dead-centerin the 1sual manner, 'the explosions being alternate theftwo ends-of the cylinder-here' shown.y he'spring of the-by-passvalvefikis set to a E` :s ide'rably lower; thanf'thelmagrilnmi ressur'e -of-.explo'sion and' preterablyy lower t anthe .highest'compression-pressure reached within the. 'cylinder-- before-'admission 'I Explosion one;endotthejcylinder when the .40 exploienpress'llre besides driving "fith 3ston 1,411 in ,'.fthefl usual manner causes exp 'ion ot thegfwaterrom chamber 21I or xplledwater enters- 4"runter-"33 and dives'thgepiston 34 of t e laltconsiderably fiston 34,. the

r., jur.; :PistQ- sapfpumpsegs, largerinl area "than" the motorratlebeing suchthat the resu ting pressure i9' inpi "apprezgimatey the pressure '-:f'.jatfwfjchgvalve '41 isfsetfito release, being sometimes above this* pressure 4and some- .times"`below it. .f' Whenjgth1-pessure delivered-bribe. ...iS-fabs. -hsrlesse- Pres'- pum .is-by- .assed aroundtdithe. suction side, an 'trave n in a hereasiV the. .pressure in pipeS 1s .bloftherelease -rssure-of, 'valve 41l a. vol-l smefaffwewwill: pis ha'mbersil 2,2-ofn dienen-exploding Isala hsh. m1111118' isla-r. .etnie excessief' the Ve3expressed fr9m"t giplosion side of fletlivBQi-pi'torigfwingM tlie of area of mme.' S51-averi the stroke,gdrivin out theremainmg piston-chamber 21 or 2 2'opposite t e to pressures which 'pressure considerably higherthan'thei pres-gA f 'l `gni-re prevailing in thervorkingcylinderwhen tl1`e` exhaust-port15 is'iunco'vered, jbut con-l.

the" otherV end '1s-at a f l". :By employing as useful.

delivered' to' onei of the:

ressure of eyplosion in the Working cylinder. he standar is determined by the set of byepass valvestandard, the pump 33 will be driven at a rate to raise t1 Some o the pump delivery bein thus b ypassed, only a part of it reaches t e opposite chamber of iston 14v and conse uently the latter col apses relatively to W at itsvolume would otherwise be. Hence' the next leX loding charge in this enlarged cylinderen 'vor clearancechamber .will afford "ajreduced'maximum pressure, nearer to the standard. VOn the other hand should the explosion pressure be 41. ""'l an' increased quantity 4or' charge is admitted to the cylinder 10, resulting in an explosion pressure above the `chamber feed-pipe 43 and to' a wastefpipee pressure in pi e 38 above the release pressure.

.below the standard, owing to reduced charge,

'the motive force in pump motor 3'3 would be less 'andthe pressure in pi belowthe. release (pressure ',o all otthepump elivery would -sion end, and-distend said'chamber so'asto- 'reduce the/clearance space to correspond with the reduced charge. The charge is re lated according to the governor -tity, of charge tioned.- [Eor'a brief 'period however While the expansible Working/piston* is changing lits' volumethe engine' is enabledv to' respon to -the explo? qiantity'o t e'loadby 47, and variations in the quan# reduce variable explosion ave the'efect before n1e n.

uickl to arr-increased demand 'forpower since heexplosion pressure will befte'mpo rarily 'longerwill be theiperio 0 Water' IOm the'piston, this in-` '.a greater cooling'eect on the-cylinder. walls Uisdesirable.4

4.its connections, a certainadded result is at the' chamber 1 '7 and ics ifo

tained, which, though notessential, I regard Water expelled from the` pump- Inotor 33 is employed to feed the cooling regulator 18, and' the excess .not needed- .thereinp'asses te W'a'sitorelsewhere through the valvef4'5 which is of courseset to a pres- 'sure 'equal to or above that maintained in the cooling cha ber 17. The dierence between the back-pressureinthe pipe 42 and the impressed pressure 1 n pipe SZlrepreSents, the

effective' pressure 'available for-work on pis# ton. 34.. The opening of valve-45 may. be

-q'uite small relatively to the. opening of the levebregulator'valve19 s o that the varia-f' -tions. in.. the res'stancej and .-baclr pressure valve 19, corresponding,

jwith thei'variationsin consumption of Water.4

100 lraised considerably above the' Lstandf ard. The higher the ex' losion pressure the. dief high pressure -the World cylinder and the greater the" expulsion creased circulation occuringat a time.l when' what lthe z tcttia'tjng agency'which causes the'circu -l'atioxrofthe' water'in lthe piston chanrbers.

the usual'governing"devicesv (not'shown)` cnil -1 ploy'edioii 'the lowwith the "load'-l anal) variations in the 'piston4 circulation.- ,v

' n connection with a low-pressu're cylinder er otheimeans for producing back-pressure inthe exhaust p1 e of the primary engine I 'so' ftV the fol o wers 23 1n' their.- guides as' to' hause aleakage of Water', greater or less in ainqunt, 'frein the' interior 'of the.v iston into the cylr'nder,"toA ass out Yvvithtllie'exhaust eases. and. C001 'di Sii'clif. lense' fitting 'of 'the followers' ivill l be readily iindersteod .without specialI illustrationz On'ecasion thismaybe madethe ing chamber. .17. may the bf? de-Ped of' yits'iirfatersu ply by..ielie ving all'tensionl on il?? serine" 0f .valve 45., Or'sad Chamber with Its irate:

'n aaotivefforce of-'the .charge in'the cylinder, irripaitsmotive -force to. thel charge and lin i e-'the compression pressure ,only is The terjin1 lf pressure engineft used in the' alims isl intended 'to cover compressors as.- well as motors. .i

I not hold myself to the exact construction s'hwn, as various 'equivalents and modi- -cations may .'beused'. For example, instead: off-using' an "expansible' chamber or chambers in the Working piston, Imay place thef-same in the cylinder head'or heads, although the arrangementillu'strated is/pre 'lierre'. I believe myself. however'to be the -tirstfto adjust theclearance automatically by The-release might occur otherwise and. the.

means fofa piston ofvariable volume, subg 'stantialI as" shown.' It is not essential to the ,hy ranlic :variation lthat' the release should.. occur .through a pump motor 33;

piston 35 of the pumpbe -actuated inl a suitlable manner, 'as for instance from the eros's l'headofthe'ma'in engine.- V Then could take place .the admissign of a constant-quantityof'liquidtothe-piston per. unit'of time or per rfessure 'engine will produce TIQSDK e latter by vaporization.'

-feeding'f devices :may simplyv be. Olfy-@d-' om the apparatus.: tbe'inventinis applied to a com- .Pl'SSpif-tlllefpistoli, instead4 ofreceiving the piston, and an external liquid pump cenpiston.-

irl

in Saicl' eylfinder, and i'neans"'actuated1 'ln/lfthev 'expansion of the lastsaidchaniber:for varychambers.

3. A pressure-'engine comprising a doubleacting Working-cylinder structure, a solidpiston structure Working therein and axially e'xpansi'ble =and collapsible at both ends, 'and means forA varying the volume of one pistnend by the'iluid-pressures active on the other. piston-end.O I*

It'. Apressure-'engine comprising a 'vs forlingy cylinder, al -hollow working' iston. therein having an axiall movable wal with 'a liquid# chamberbehin it for varying 'thep'ist'onvolume, and'means for introducing liquid'to said chamber from outside of the cylinder".

'5. jA'pressure-'engine comprising a Werkin r.

cylinder, a hollow' axially expansible en collapsible. Working piston ther-ein', a pietenrod connected With said piston' and havin aI duct for. V'conducting lr'uid 'between te exterior of the cylinder add the interior of the nectedwith Said duet.

` 6. A pressurefengine having a' double-acte, ing cylinder, a working piston therein having movable Aheadsat both ends-for varying the cylinder clearances, .piston-rods at both ends extending through the cylinder-heads and having. ducts for conducting iiuid lto and from the interior of the piston,l and a connection between the 'rods for transmitting. theiorce .of the fluid-pressure between the ends of the 7. -A pressure-engine including a .chamber having a movable clearancelvaryin Wall, conduits for conducting fluid to am? away from said chamber, and check-valves in said .conduits permitting flow only in one direction in one of the conduits 'and only in the opposite direction in the other conduit.

8. A pressure-engine having a Worki cylinder, a hollow working piston of variab e volume therein, and means to supply a liquid to the interior of said piston at a pressure intermediate between the highest and lowest .pressures prevailing in said cylinder.

9. A pressureengine comprising a Working cylinder having a variable clearance- Space containing a liquid, an external hydraulic motor operated by enlargement of said space for erforining. a useful function in the engine, an means for conducting the liquid between said space and motor.

10. A pressure-engine comprising a working-cylinder having a variable Aclearancespace, a hydraulic motor opera-led by enlargement of said space, and means operated by said motor for varying another clearance space in the engine.

1 1.' A pressure-engine having a plurality of clearancevarying chambers, means for conducting. liquid to and from said chambers. a'-

motor operated b liquid expressed from 'said chambers, an a pump operated by the chambers motor for ,supplying liquid to said'chambers.

12. A pressure-e ine having a plurality or' clearance-varying i uid-cbambersV means for expressing liqui p from either of said by the' Working pressure of the engine, and'means for supplying to the other chamberby the force of the expressed liquid a volume 'of liquidgr'eater than the volume expressed.- 1 y -13..Aprcssureengine comprising a work-l I mg cylmder having one or more elearancevarying chambers, conduits for leading Water to and away from said chambers, and means whereby 'the water leaving. said chambers of water greater .than itself.

piston, and means whereb returns to the chambers another volume of water.

14. A pressure-engine comprising'an ex? ansible and collaps'i le working piston, 'conuits 'for leading water to and away from said `flthe Water leaving the piston may return to t e piston a volume 15. A pressure-engine having hydraulic clearance-varying devices, means for leading water toand away fromsaiddevices, means actuated-by the leaving water for retur` another volume'of vWater to said devices, an

means for varying the proportion which the v quantit returned bears to. the quantity expelle -in accordance with the pressure. of the water expelled'.

16. explosion engine comprising 'a working cylinder, a clearance-va ing liquidchamber therefor, a pump variab y actuated ,pressed from said chambers, and -a Vpum suction, andI a 4 sald in accordance with ,the explosion pressure for supplying liquid to sai chamber, and. means for-releasing at a point anterior to said ,chamber afportion of the delivery ofsaid pump u'pon the attainmentof a predeterminedV ressure of the lxliqiiidldelivered.4

' 17. pressure-engine varying chamber,. a pump to supply liquidv thereto, a deliver conduitl connecting said. pump and cham er .and having Va zbranch' outlet, and an automatic loaded release-valve raving a clearancesupplying the inlet conduit. and lhaving a greater capacity per cycle than the motor, a by-pass'from the ump-delivery to the oaded release-valve in y-pass.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set myhand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, the ninth day of Se tember 1905. Y `'SlDNlY REEVE. Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. W. HARRISON.

55' urality 

